Lawmaker Wants To Make Protesters Pay Some Enforcement Costs

St. Paul, MN (Learfield) -- As Trump protesters rallied in the Twin Cities and other cities around the state Friday, a state lawmaker said he wanted to let cities file lawsuits to make protesters pay for things like police enforcement and damages.

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House Republican Nick Zerwas of Elk River says his bill is in response to last year's protests that shut down the Mall of America, occupied a Minneapolis district police station, and blocked Interstate 94 in protest to a pair of police shooting deaths.

Zerwas says protesters have rights to free speech, but not to blocking freeways.

The A-C-L-U opposes the measure, saying it would let government pick and choose its targets -- and it would put a chilling effect of lawful assemblies. The bill has a public hearing set for Tuesday.